Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional fishing hook 10 includes an eyelet 15, a shank 20, a bend 25, an optional barb 30, and a point 35. The gap 40 is defined as the distance between the point and the shank. The throat 45 is defined as the distance from a line from the point to the bottom of the bend. The front length of the hook is defined as the distance from the point 35 to the bend 25. As known by anglers, the angler ties the fishing line to the eyelet. In fishing, anglers put live bait, such as a worm or minnow, on the hook. If the angler is using a minnow, the minnow is positioned by the angler in the bend region. Similarly, if the angler is using a worm, the angler feeds the worm onto the hook and positions the worm in the bend region. An angler also may use an artificial lure on the hook by inserting the point into the lure and threading the artificial lure on to the hook such that the lure resides on the shank.
Referring to FIG. 2, another conventional fishing hook is a trailer hook system 50. A trailer hook system includes a leading hook 55, which may be a spinner bait, buzz bait or worm fishing hook, etc., and a trailer hook 60. The trailer hook has a connector portion formed at one of its ends, and the leading hook has a bend or curved portion. The connecting portion of the trailer hook resides in the bend or curve portion of the leading hook.
Oftentimes the angler doesn't even notice that the minnow or other type of bait has escaped the bend and slid to the front end of his or her fishhook, especially if one casts the fishing line far away from the boat. Also an angler attaches sinkers to a fishing line by placing weights above the fishhook, thus causing the fishhook and bait to immediately submerge when the fishhook and weights reach the water, thereby further limiting the angler's capability to observe the fishhook and minnow. The present invention thus provides an improved fishhook that retains bait on the bend region of the fishhook and prevents the bait from wriggling or sliding off the fishhook.
FIG. 10 reproduces the hook disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,502,781 and GB 223,137, authored by Jamison, which includes a point section 4, a curved segment 5, a bend section 7 and includes a number of turns in the wire along the length of the point section of the hook such that at least three angles created by the turns in the wire can be identified: a first angle between the bend of the hook 7 and the first segment of the wire that leads to the peak of the curved segment 5, designated as 6, a second angle between the second segment of the wire that leads to the peak of the curved segment and the point of the hook 4, designated as 6′ and a third angle existing on the opposite side of the peak of the curved segment 5. It is possible that there are actually four angles in the curved segment depending on how the peak 5 of the curved segment is viewed. In the description above, the peak has a single angle in which the wire changes direction from moving inwards to moving outwards. Alternatively, the peak 5 can be viewed as a straight section over a short length in which there are two angled portions: a first angled portion where the lower angle 6 intersects peak 5 and a second angled portion where the peak intersection with the upper angle 6. In such an interpretation, the curved segment of Jamison is made up of four angles.
This curved segment existing in the Jamison hook does not satisfactorily solve the problem of retaining bait in a limited region of the bend of the hook and providing an obstacle to the caught fish coming off of the hook. Instead, it is believed that using the Jamison hook could result in the bait sliding along the curved segment and off the point of the hook due to the wire not being sufficiently angled so as to retain the bait.
For example, when fishing with live bait, such as a minnow, the point of the fishhook is inserted through the skin on the back of the minnow thus forming a fishhook hole in the minnow's back. After attachment, the minnow is not killed but can still generate a swimming motion while held on the fishhook and thereby entice fish to bite the minnow. However, the gradual curved segment of the Jamison hook is believed to be insufficient to hinder the swimming minnow from sliding off the hook. Furthermore, as the minnow wriggles while attached to the hook, the placement of the hook within the minnow's skin can become enlarged, thus making it easier for the minnow to slide past the gradual curved segment of the Jamison hook and leave the bend of the fishhook. By contrast, the present invention seeks to resolve the problem associated with the Jamison hook by providing a hook that has an offset created by turns in the wire adjacent to or in the bend segment which creates an offset sufficient to retain bait in a limited region of the bend.
The Jamison hook also fails to include an offset that moves the point inwards towards the shank portion of the fish hook, thereby providing a more effective means of retaining bait than that which is disclosed in Jamison. Having an offset allows the distance between the shank and the tip, hereinafter called the gap, to be decreased, which is advantageous because it allows the fish to more easily inhale and thereafter attach to the hook.